Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews

Almost every day, I’m asked about the hugely popular ketogenic diet.I’ve written about it some time ago and more recently had Dr. Eric Helms here on the podcast to talk about it in the context of lean bulking, but as keto has become THE next “it diet” and science is always moving forward, I figured it’s high time to address it again.That’s why I invited Dr. Brad Dieter on the podcast to discuss all things keto including its advantages and disadvantages for weight loss and general health, how to get (and stay) in ketosis, what ketones are and if you should supplement with them, and more.In case you’re not familiar with Brad, he’s trained exercise physiologist, molecular biologist, and biostatistician with Master’s and Doctorate degrees, as well as the COO of Macros, Inc and a member of the Legion Athletics Scientific Advisory Board.Needless to say, Brad’s an accomplished chap with the experience and scientific chops to tackle a complicated subject like the ketogenic diet.So, if you want to know what the keto diet is good for, and whether or not you should give it a shot, this episode is for you.4:44 - What is the ketogenic diet and how did it start? 7:12 - Would the ketones spillover be after fat gain? 9:06 - How does energy balance affect the results of a ketogenic diet? 11:04 - Do you need to be in a calorie deficit to be on a ketogenic diet? 12:12 - Why is it that if you eat more carbs you tend to lose fat more efficiently? 18:27 - What are the advantages of a ketogenic diet? 25:26 - Where is the carbohydrate cutoff to maintain a state of ketosis? 28:21 - Are there situations where you recommend a ketogenic diet? 30:01 - What kind of health benefits do you get from a ketogenic diet? 34:32 - Are there any health conditions that a ketogenic diet could help with? 36:31 - Can a ketogenic diet help with skin issues?Mentioned on The Show:Macros IncBrad’s InstagramScience Driven NutritionWant to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

Gluten-free is still going strong these days.According to Google Trends, it’s just about as popular now as it was at its peak six years ago, and gluten-free foods still pack the shelves of grocery stores, coffee shops, bakeries, and the like.In other words, gluten-free dieting is no longer just a buzzword among bloggers, paleo fanatics, and health gurus.It’s become a bonafide mainstream diet fad.Despite this, gluten is still a hotly debated and polarizing little protein. Some claim it’s literally poison and should be avoided at all costs and others say the only people that need to limit their gluten intake are people with celiac disease.To help clear up this confusion surrounding gluten and present a fair, balanced take on the current weight of the evidence, I invited Danny Lennon to join me on the podcast. It’s been a number of years since I last had him on the show, but he’s been a member of the Legion Scientific Advisory Board since its inception and also has a master’s degree in Nutritional Sciences. He’s also the host of his own podcast calledSigma Nutrition Radio, where he interviews world-renowned experts from the fields of nutrition, medicine, and sports performance.In this episode, Danny and I discuss all things gluten, including what gluten is, what happens when we eat it, the difference between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, whether “leaky gut” is a real thing, and more.7:14 - What is gluten? 8:12 - Why is gluten an issue for some people and not others? 10:34 - What kind of symptoms does celiac disease cause and what happens when people with celiac disease eat gluten? 12:52 - What is intestinal permeability and is it related to leaky gut? 15:05 - Why is having an increased intestinal permeability bad? 18:34 - What is a gluten allergy? 20:04 - How does a gluten sensitivity differ from an autoimmune response and a gluten allergy? 21:56 - Are there any tests to see if you have a gluten sensitivity? 24:33 - What happens with repeated exposure to gluten? Is it different for every individual? 25:36 - What are some common symptoms of the non autoimmune and nonallergic gluten sensitivity? 27:29 - What is the percentage of people that have a gluten sensitivity? 32:51 - What studies best explain why some people have gluten problems and others don’t? 36:04 - How would someone with a gluten sensitivity be diagnosed? 41:21 - What are fodmaps and how can it confuse someone who is trying to find out if they have a gluten sensitivity?Mentioned on The Show:Sigma Nutrition Website - (https://sigmanutrition.com/)Sigma Nutrition Radio - (https://sigmanutrition.com/podcasts/)Danny’s Instagram - (@dannylennon_sigma)Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

I’ve churned through over 150,000 emails, social media comments and messages, and blog comments in the last 6 years.And that means I’ve fielded a ton of questions.As you can imagine, some questions pop up more often than others, and I thought it might be helpful to take a little time every month to choose a few and record and share my answers.So, in this round, I answer the following four questions:Should I eat back the calories burned from exercise?Should I eat more on the days I workout?How quickly can I lose fat without losing muscle?How can I eat less without being hungry while cutting?If you have a question you’d like me to answer, leave a comment below or if you want a faster response, send an email to mike@muscleforlife.com.Recommended reading for this episode: How Many Calories You Should Eat (with a Calculator)The Complete Guide to Safely and Healthily Losing Weight Fast 8 Ways to Improve Hunger Control and Weight LossMentioned on The Show: Click here to shop Legion’s Black Friday sale and save up to 30%!---Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

How often do you hear sympathies these days for the “downtrodden, exploited, and underpaid” common folk, along with harsh, condemning words for those people with any measure of financial success?Well, it’s very true that there are criminals operating in the largest corporations, the highest levels of Wall Street, and our government that make the robber barons of the past look like noble saviors, and I hope to see them put in prison one day, where they belong. Crony capitalism is a travesty of free market capitalism and is to blame for much of the inequity we see in today's society.That said, that condemnation doesn't apply to the average rich person, who is simply a small business owner that worked his or her ass off to build a team of people that sell and deliver valuable products and services that others need and want. Only a small fraction of the "1%" are the problem.Many of the "downtrodden" avoid this reality and instead try to place the responsibility of their failures at the feet of the generalized "rich," but there's a cold, hard fact they don't want to face:They are unsuccessful because they can’t carry a message to Garcia.What the hell am I talking about? I’m talking about Elbert Hubbard’s famous short story, A Message to Garcia—a story that contains one of the most fundamental principles of success that I know.People who can carry a message to Garcia are a special breed. They're invaluable not only as workers, but as friends and, indeed, members of society. I guarantee you this: If you can simply carry a message to Garcia, you will always make money, always accomplish goals, and always be in demand.Think I’m overstating the issue? Listen to the short story in this podcast episode, and let me know what you think.It's short but powerful. Enjoy.---Mentioned on The Show:Click Here to Shop Legion’s Black Friday Sale and Save Up to 30%!---Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

In this episode, I interview Fred, who used my work to help radically transform his life and literally save his life.Fred originally got in touch through one of my Live Q&As on Instagram, and after hearing his story, I decided he’d make a great guest.Why?Before finding my work, Fred was 415 pounds, and dying.That sounds dramatic, but the truth is he had a heart attack, his kidneys were failing, and his doctors suggested he say his goodbyes to friends and loved ones.This was enough to make Fred take stock of his situation and decide to make a change.He started going to the gym. And he lost some weight. Then he found my site, which helped him lose over 200 pounds.Now Fred is a fitness coach himself, paying it forward and inspiring others, showing through example that anyone can improve their health, fitness, and longevity, no matter how bad their situation may seem.In this interview, Fred and I discuss his story, how he ended up in the hospital, how he started getting healthier, how he refused to make excuses, and what it takes to completely change your life.So if you’re looking for a jolt of inspiration and like motivational stories, I highly recommend you listen to this episode.5:14 - What were your numbers before and after finding Legion? 7:00 - What was your diet and fitness like 7 years ago? 29:05 - How do you free up time to maximize other tasks? 34:51 - What motivated you to lose weight? 58:00 - What are your plans for the future?---Mentioned on The Show: Click Here to Shop Legion’s Black Friday Sale and Save Up to 30%!:https://legionathletics.com/shop/Fredrick's Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/frederick_b_henderson/---Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter! Click here:https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

Fat was practically falling off your body just a few weeks ago, and now you're wondering if your scale is broken because no matter what you do, your weight won't budge.What gives?Why did your routine suddenly stop working, and what can you do to push through this weight loss plateau?Listen to this podcast to find out.Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

Aside from the basic military diet meal plan and eating schedule (which we’ll go over in a moment), there’s no official military diet and the recommendations and rules vary based on who you ask.Furthermore, there’s no fitness guru claiming credit for the military diet.There’s no diet book promoting its eating principles.There’s no official website on the diet and the main argument thrown around in its favor is the rumor that Khloe Kardashian used it to lose weight . . . at some point . . . maybe.Despite this dubious track record, it’s still wildly popular, as evidenced by the 150,000 people who search for it every month online.Some of the appeal is understandable, too.Like many weight loss diets it has an attractive schtick:You only have to follow the military diet meal plan 3 days per week.You can still enjoy some normal foods while following the diet.You don’t have to follow the diet forever to lose weight.You can lose “up to 10 pounds per week.”You don’t have to exercise.What are the downsides, then?For starters, the meal plan you’re supposed to follow looks like the diet of a famished racoon rooting through a restaurant dumpster.There’s no rhyme or reason to any of the food choices, and it’s almost as if someone threw them together purely to troll people who don’t know any better.For example, dinner on the third day of the diet is 1 cup of tuna, ½ a banana, and 1 cup of vanilla ice cream.The meals are also designed to provide no more than 1,000 calories per day for the first 3 days of the diet, and the other 4 days of the week you’re allowed no more than 1,500 calories.If you aren’t familiar with what 1,500 calories looks like, that’svery little food—about half as much as most people eat.That being what it is, there’s a groundswell of dieters eager to learn more about the military diet and plenty of vloggers, influencers, and other bush-league diet gurus happy to spread the gospel.You probably know enough about dieting, though, to be skeptical. In fact, I’ll wager a hotdog and half cup of vanilla ice cream that you have a lot of questions about the military diet, such as . . .Why is it called the military diet?What are you supposed to eat on the military diet?Will the military diet actually help me lose 10 pounds of fat in a week?And more.You’ll learn the answers to all of t

Take this supplement and you’ll be able to train harder.Train harder and you’ll gain more muscle and strength.Gain more muscle and strength and you’ll get the body you want faster.The pitch sounds alluring … and familiar … right?It’s how pre-workout supplements (among others) are sold, of course.And these days, many of the most popular pre-workout supplements contain beta-alanine and spotlight it as a key component.According to their product labels, beta-alanine increases strength, power, and endurance during strength training, sprinting, and most sports.On the other hand, the skeptics claim that while beta-alanine may help with sports that involve a lot of sprinting, like soccer, football, and basketball, it won’t help you perform better in your strength workouts. Plus, they warn that there aren’t enough studies to prove that beta-alanine is safe.Who’s right?The short answer is that beta alanine can help you squeeze out a few more sets and reps in your workouts and it will almost certainly help you perform better in your HIIT workouts, but it probably isn’t going to directly increase your strength.In this podcast, you’re going to learn … - What beta-alanine is - What the benefits and side effects of beta-alanine are - How much beta-alanine you have to take to see results - The best beta-alanine supplements - And more …Let’s start at the top.Time Stamps:3:18 - What is beta-alanine? 7:16 - Does beta-alanine improve muscle endurance? 12:07 - What is beta-alanine’s effect on traditional endurance exercises? 15:06 - Can beta-alanine improve muscle growth? 16:49 - What’s the clinically effective dose of beta-alanine? 19:43 - When should I take beta-alanine? 22:06 - What are beta-alanine tingles? 26:51 - Does beta-alanine have any side effects? 28:26 - What are the best beta-alanine supplements?Mentioned on the show:Shop Legion Supplements Here:https://legionathletics.com/shop/Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here:https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

There has been a lot of grumbling about genetically modified foods over the last decade or so, and many of the claims are alarming enough to scare your pucker shut.These foods are POISONOUS, some people say, and increase your risk of all kinds of disease and dysfunction. At some point, they prophesy, we'll look back on GMOs like we do fluoroscopes, lobotomies, and DDT.Hogwash, the other camp proclaims—GMOs are well studied and perfectly safe, and we should stop tilting at windmills and embrace this wonderful product of modern food science.Who's right? Well, that's what this podcast is all about.In it, Kurtis Frank and I break it all down, starting with what GMOs are and how they’re created, the difference between some GMO foods that are probably not a reason for concern and others that may be, why genetically modified plant and animal foods are different, and more.And in case you’re not familiar with Kurtis, he’s the co-founder and former lead researcher and writer of Examine.com, as well as the Director of Research for my sports nutrition company, Legion Athletics.Let’s get to the show!6:24 - What is a basic definition of GMO’s? 8:43 - How do you cross breed plants? 14:41 - Are they modifying one gene or multiple genes? 15:27 - What is an example of a modification that might not be a good idea to change? 16:53 - How do GMO’s affect humans? 22:38 - Are there consequences when we modify animals? 25:57 - How does Monsanto fit into all of this?---Mentioned on The Show:Click Here to Shop Legion Supplements---Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/

News flash: us Westerners aren’t exactly paragons of health and wellness.While it’s easy to blame our bloated body fat percentages and sedentary living on many different external factors, the reality is that much of what’s ailing us collectively has stemmed from the compounding effects of bad habits that began in childhood.And these trends aren’t getting any better.Kids these days are less active, less interested in physical activity and sports, and spend more time in front of T.V.s, computers, tablets, and phones than ever before.Their dietary habits aren’t any better, either, with less than 10% of teenagers meeting the minimum number of daily servings of fruits or vegetables.Many parents think this calls for extreme measures like micromanaging their broodlings’ every calorie and extracurricular minute in an attempt to save their kids from the pitfalls of modern living.This too often backfires and can lead to alarmingly unhealthy behaviors as the children get older and eventually leave the nest.And so parents wonder what's the right way of addressing this issue? How can we teach and encourage our kids to eat and live healthily in a way that will stick and become their own?I invited Jeff and Mikki Martin on the podcast to help answer these questions and more.They’re co-owners of The Brand X Method, a coaching program devoted to youth training since 2004.Through their training centers across the US, live seminars, and coaching programs, they’ve helped tens of thousands of kids learn proper movement patterns, improve their athleticism, avoid injury, and develop a healthy relationship with food.And in this episode, Jeff and Mikki share some of the key lessons they’ve learned over the years, including where to start when they're young, how to help them enjoy sports as they get older, how to introduce them about proper nutrition, and more.Let’s get to it!9:40 - Why did they remove PE from public schools? 21:53 - How do we educate parents with new information about raising kids? 30:22 - What are some movement solutions that work best for kids? 40:40 - How do you approach nutrition with kids? 50:38 - Are there any supplements that you recommend for kids? 53:22 - What are your thoughts on omega-3, vitamin D and multivitamin supplements for kids? 58:59 - Are energy drinks and caffeine intake becoming an issue with teenagers? 1:00:47 - Should teenagers stay away from caffeine altogether?Want to get my best advice on how to gain muscle and strength and lose fat faster? Sign up for my free newsletter!Click here: https://www.legionathletics.com/signup/